Recipes

Elote Corn Salad with Chipotle Crema

Serves 4-6

| Prep Time: 5 mins

| Cook Time: 10 mins

| Total Time: 15 mins

You may need: Chipotle Spice

Discover The Recipe

Elote is Mexican-style grilled corn that is one of the most popular street food bites. You will find elote corn cobs sold everywhere and anywhere people congregate in Mexico. Sweet corn is grilled to a light char and most often smothered with a creamy sauce (‘crema’) made from a Mexican type of creme fraiche. Crema is similar to a combo of mayonnaise and sour cream. Elote street vendors then offer a dusting of chili powder, a sprinkle of cilantro leaves, a handful of salty cotija cheese crumbles, and a lime wedge. The result is a carnival of flavor - the perfect mix of sweet, salty, and sour with a dash of heat.

In our recipe, we deconstruct elote and refashion it into Elote Corn Salad with Chipotle Crema for your dinner table. We grill the corn (or pan char if using frozen corn) and mix it with a homemade crema made of mayonnaise. You can substitute sour cream or do a 50/50 mix of mayo and sour cream. We spice our crema using our proprietary Chipotle Spice containing a mix of chilis, aromatics, savory porcini mushrooms, and herbs. Chipotle chili peppers are jalapeño peppers that have been dried and smoked, lending a much more complex, smoky flavor than the spicy heat from plain jalapeños. Our blend gives a kiss of heat with loads of flavor that you can use in any dish where you want a pop of Mexican flavor.

Ingredients

6 ears of corn (or 4 cups frozen corn)
½ cup mayo
2 tsp Piquant Post Chipotle Spice
¼ cup radishes, sliced
1 Tbsp lime, freshly juiced
½ tsp salt
1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/3 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (or use manchego, pecorino or any other salty, hard cheese)

Notes

If using frozen corn: In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over high heat. Add 4 cups of frozen corn and spread out into a single layer. Allow the corn to cook over high heat until it begins to char. Stir corn and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the corn to cool completely before using in the salad.

Mexican crema is similar to creme fraiche or sour cream, with a mild sour flavor. You can use sour cream in this dish or do a 50/50 mix of sour cream and mayo.

Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.

Instructions

Grill the corn: Heat a grill on high for 10 min. Husk the corn and lay the corn directly on the hot grill. Once the corn begins to slightly char, flip it to the other side. Continue flipping until the corn is lightly charred on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove the corn from the grill and allow it to cool.

Once the corn has cooled completely, use a sharp knife to remove the kernels from the corn.

In a small bowl, combine the mayo with our Chipotle Spice blend and mix well.

In a large bowl, combine the grilled corn, radish, lime, salt, chipotle mayo and cilantro. Top with Cotija cheese and serve with additional lime wedges.

Alternatives & Substitutions

Our Chipotle Blend seasoning is a Swiss Army knife you can use in myriad ways. Packed with layers of flavor and a kiss of smoky-heat, we love finding new ways to use this blend
We added a kick to these Chipotle Fish Tacos for an easy weeknight meal. How about a quick and easy Burrito Mojado or our Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa?
Try making our savory, comforting Mexican-inspired Chipotle Pork with Butternut Squash Chili recipe.
For vegans and vegetarians, try using our Chipotle Blend to make a savory Chipotle Mushroom Posole and our Vegan Jackfruit Salbutes recipes.
Start your morning with this Chipotle Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet.
This Chipotle Relish is perfect for your next backyard barbecue.
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